A Christmas quiz - twelve days of Christmas

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Over the last year, I've come across all sorts of rail trivia, and I'll be posting a random question here each day - a "Twelve days of Christmas" quiz.  No formal prizes on offer / some of the "answers" may be matters of opinion, but let's have some fun.  Some of the questions I have in mind could lead to hours of research if you're fed up with turkey and tele!

Let's start with a bonus for Christmas Eve ...

0. What special precautions can you list in the British Isles that are currently taken in particular locations to stop rock falls onto the track? I can think of three straight off ...

[John R]

On the Oban line trip wires will put semaphore signals to danger if rocks fall on them. I believe that this is the only use for these signals, which are therefore almost always off.

[signalandtelegraph]

Fence at Dawlish, trip wires between Folkestone & Shakespeare Cliff, Penmaenmawr avalanche shelter?

[grahame]

I had the Oban line signals as one of the three I expected ... more details at

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/location.php?loc=Falls%20of%20Cruachan
http://www.railbrit.co.uk/location.php?loc=Pass%20of%20Brander
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pass_of_Brander_stone_signals
http://www.railsigns.co.uk/info/stonesig1/stonesig1.html

Fence at Dawlish, trip wires between Folkestone & Shakespeare Cliff, Penmaenmawr avalanche shelter?

Those are good ... I had two other avalance shelters that I knew of (can anyone come up with places?), but had overlooked Penmaenmawr until you mentioned it, and I had wondered what there was at Dawlish.  Vague bells ring about Shakespeare Cliff - are the trip wires still there?

[TerminalJunkie]

I had the Oban line signals as one of the three I expected

They detect rather than stop rock falls onto the track, though!

[grahame]

I had the Oban line signals as one of the three I expected

They detect rather than stop rock falls onto the track, though!

You're right, of course.   Now if I had taken bets on who would have picked me up on such an error, guess who the odds-on favourite would have been     ... Happy Christmas, TJ

[grahame]

Following up from yesterday, the two others I had were the rock shelters / avalance deflectors between Llwyngwril and Fairbourne, and on the Kyle of Lochalsh line between Strathcarron and Duncraig Castle if memory serves right

[grahame]

Christmas day question ...

1. What Christmas words can you find hidden in station names?   For example, you'll find all the letters of "Christmas" in "King's Cross Thameslink" (and yes, there are two "s"s).

Here are some things to start you ...

* There are two stations in towns that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) serve where you can find "reindeer"

* First Great Western provide some of the services where there's "turkey"

* And who will you find in Lelant Saltings?

There's a station list at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/smr/index.html ... if you get a sample station data set, then you need to log in (if you're not registered - go on - it's free and we always welcome more members especially at Christmas!)

[JayMac]

I think I can see 'Santa' at Lelant Saltings.

[Chris from Nailsea]

... and I'm sure there's a reindeer in Cardiff Queen Street - and another in Windsor & Eton Riverside.

A turkey has also been seen in Ashchurch for Tewkesbury.

As well as snow in Ascott-under-Wychwood, and a robin in Bicester Town. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

... and, rather topically, there's ice in Nailsea & Backwell!

[grahame]

Yep all of those ;-) ...   But I hadn't spotted the snow at Ascott, nor the Robin at Bicester Town.

[TerminalJunkie]

There is a second 'Christmas': Swinton (Gr Manchester) {OK, a bit of a cheat}

A mince pie: Manchester Piccadilly

Presents: Parson Street, Weston-super-Mare (and Newport (S. Wales))

And if you don't like your gift there are 8 receipts:

• Liverpool Central
• Rhoose Cardiff International Airport
• Chapel-en-le-Frith
• Clapham High Street
• Manchester Airport
• Berwick-upon-Tweed
• Manchester Piccadilly
• Prestwick International Airport

Sprouts:

• Paisley Gilmour Street
• Portsmouth & Southsea
• South Ruislip
• Whitchurch (Shropshire)
• Portsmouth Arms
• Weston-super-Mare

These are all the Reindeer:

• Edinburgh Waverley
• Dunfermline Queen Margaret
• Windermere
• London Liverpool Street
• Birkenhead Central
• Burley-in-Wharfedale
• Cardiff Queen Street
• Windsor & Eton Riverside

Two more if you include the suffixes: Howwood (Renfrewshire) and Moreton (Merseyside)

You can also find the individual reindeer names:
2 Rudolphs: Northumberland Park and Upper Halliford
Blitzen: Leighton Buzzard
There are 66 Donners, 57 Dancers, 56 Dashers, 8 Prancers, 39 Comets and 3 Cupids. There aren't any Vixens, though (unless you spell 'St' in full, when you can have two: 'Exeter Saint Davids' and 'Saint Budeaux Victoria Road')

Nine Scrooges:

• Birchington-on-sea
• Chessington North
• Cooksbridge
• Gainsborough Central
• Stourbridge Junction
• Worcester Foregate Street
• Georgemas Junction
• Princes Risborough
• Stone Crossing

I found 98 Santas and 89 Robins. And finally, there's one Humbug: Musselburgh.
Telly's been crap tonight, hasn't it...

[Mookiemoo]

There is a second 'Christmas': Swinton (Gr Manchester) {OK, a bit of a cheat}

A mince pie: Manchester Piccadilly

Presents: Parson Street, Weston-super-Mare (and Newport (S. Wales))

And if you don't like your gift there are 8 receipts:

• Liverpool Central
• Rhoose Cardiff International Airport
• Chapel-en-le-Frith
• Clapham High Street
• Manchester Airport
• Berwick-upon-Tweed
• Manchester Piccadilly
• Prestwick International Airport

Sprouts:

• Paisley Gilmour Street
• Portsmouth & Southsea
• South Ruislip
• Whitchurch (Shropshire)
• Portsmouth Arms
• Weston-super-Mare

These are all the Reindeer:

• Edinburgh Waverley
• Dunfermline Queen Margaret
• Windermere
• London Liverpool Street
• Birkenhead Central
• Burley-in-Wharfedale
• Cardiff Queen Street
• Windsor & Eton Riverside

Two more if you include the suffixes: Howwood (Renfrewshire) and Moreton (Merseyside)

You can also find the individual reindeer names:
2 Rudolphs: Northumberland Park and Upper Halliford
Blitzen: Leighton Buzzard
There are 66 Donners, 57 Dancers, 56 Dashers, 8 Prancers, 39 Comets and 3 Cupids. There aren't any Vixens, though (unless you spell 'St' in full, when you can have two: 'Exeter Saint Davids' and 'Saint Budeaux Victoria Road')

Nine Scrooges:

• Birchington-on-sea
• Chessington North
• Cooksbridge
• Gainsborough Central
• Stourbridge Junction
• Worcester Foregate Street
• Georgemas Junction
• Princes Risborough
• Stone Crossing

I found 98 Santas and 89 Robins. And finally, there's one Humbug: Musselburgh.
Telly's been crap tonight, hasn't it...

Did you spend xmas day on your own then!

[johoare]

Excellent list TerminalJunkie.. Saved me a lot of effort :-)